VIDEO: London mayor nearly killed on cycle while doing recon for new city bike routes

On AutoblogGreen, we regularly promote the idea of parking your car and using an alternative form of transportation whenever it's practical. For those living in urban environments, cycling is a common and often faster approach compared to driving, and congested cities the world over have been working to make pedaling more viable in recent years. One of those cities is London, England, which has been battling intense traffic through such means as a particularly contentious congestion charge.

Unfortunately for those that opt for pedal power, a great many cars and trucks will remain on most roads for the foreseeable future. That means cycling may be more environmentally friendly, but it's also very risky. London mayor Boris Johnson learned this the hard way this week while ironically scoping out locations for new bike lanes in the British capital. A truck that looks like it might have been going too fast down a narrow street very nearly triggered a fatal accident with the mayor and the British transport minister. You can check out the entire incident as recorded by one of the thousands of closed-circuit video cameras that line London's streets after the jump. Hat tip to John R.